Containers



1961 L. D. MITCHELL ET AL 2,996,213

CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 10, 1958 Fig.

INVENTORS Lois D. Mitchell BY David L.Mitchel l ATTQRNEYS.

United States Patent 2,996,213 CONTAINERS Lois D. Mitchell and David L. Mitchell, both of 2601 Stayton St., Pittsburgh, Pa.; said David L. Mitchell assignor to said Lois D. Mitchell Filed Sept. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 760,111 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to containers and particularly to non-sparking containers for use with compressed gas cylinders and the like.

It is a known fact that the transfer and storage of uncovered compressed gas cylinders in places laden with volatile dusts and gases is just as dangerous if not more dangerous than the actual use of such cylinders. This is so because in transferring or storing such cylinders in such places, as for example, in a coal mine, it is possible that the metal cylinders may come in contact with electric power lines or some other metal equipment or flinty substance and strike a spark with possible disastrous results. Whenever cylinders are used as in an acetylene torch in a mine, many necessary and expensive precautions are taken to prevent accidents from the flame. But in the transfer and storage of the cylinders in the mine these precautions are not taken because the expense involved would be too great. It is therefore desirable to cover the gas cylinders in a non-sparking container of a permanent nature. Prior containers have been made but have not been satisfactory for several reasons. First, wooden containers have been tried, but they are too easily subject to breakage and will rot in damp places such as a coal mine. Likewise leather and heavy cloth fabrics such as canvas have been tried and they too were unsatisfactory, being subject to both tearing and rotting. Non-sparking metals are prohibitive costwise and dipped or painted protective coatings have failed because they tend to chip off.

Our invention solves these problems in that it is nonsparking, durable and will not rot, and is constructed to facilitate ease of handling, storage, identification and operation without the necessity of removing the gas cylinder from the container.

We provide a base tube for the reception of the gas cylinder, and a cap tube closing over the base tube, the diameters of which are such as to provide as close a fit as is practicable with the gas cylinder placed therein, entirely constructed of a semi-rigid non-sparking material such as normal polyethylene.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a container according to this invention for compressed gas bottles and the like that have valve protector caps extending from the end thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational View of a container according to this invention for compressed gas bottles and the like that do not have valve protector caps extending from the end thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of FIGURE 1 with a compressed gas cylinder in full elevation;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line IVIV of FIGURE .1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric View of the base plate of a container according to another preferred embodiment of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGURES l1 and 3, we have illustrated a container with a compressed gas cylinder 11 of the extended valve protector cap type placed therein. Container 10 has a base tube 12 constructed of a hollow cylindrical base wall 13 closed at the end by base plate 14. Base plate 14 is preferably constructed of comparatively heavy gauge stock relative to base Wall 13, as for example in a present preferred embodiment base plate 14 may be of inch thick stock and base wall 13 of .150 inch thick stock. Base plate 14 has a well groove 15 cut therein spaced slightly inwardly from its outer circumference for the reception therein of the end to be closed of base wall 13. The end of base wall 13 to be closed is placed in well groove 15 of base plate 14 and is welded about its circumference thereto at 16. The diameter of base tube 12 is slightly larger, as for example in a present preferred embodiment /8 inch to inch larger, than the diameter of the cylinder to be placed in it. This prevents the cylinder from shifting or rocking within the container and further provides support to base wall 13 whenever pressure is applied to base wall 13 as for example when the container is picked up by a sling wrapped around base wall 13 of the container. A hole 17 is placed in base plate 14 to vent base tube 12. Hole 17 prevents any difficulty arising from air entrapment in placing cylinder 11 in base tube 12 and also allows any moisture collected within base tube 12 to escape therethrough. Cap tube 18 is constructed of a hollow cylindrical cap wall 19 with a top plate 20 inserted to fill one end thereof and welded about its circumference thereto at 21. Within cap tube 18 is a hollow cylindrical retainer tube 22 welded at one end about its circumference to top plate 20 at 23 so that the center axes of cap tube 1 8 and retainer tube 22 substantially coincide. The diameter of cap tube 18 should be slightly different from that of base tube 12 so that a close fitting sliding engagement between the two may be had. In a present preferred embodiment the diameter of cap tube 18 is slightly larger than the diameter of base tube 12 and therefore closely fits in a sliding engagement over the outside of base wall 13, thus better preventing any moisture leakage into base tube 12 about the engaged openings.

The diameter of retainer tube 22 is just sufiicient to allow valve protector cap 24 of cylinder 11 to enter therein. When container .10 with cylinder 11 in place is closed by placing cap tube 1 8 over base tube 12, cylinder cap 24 is received within retainer tube 22. Thus cap tube 18 is held in alignment with base tube 12 and may not be bumped or jarred askew or off of base tube 12. To further assure that cap 18 may not become unintentionally disengaged from base tube '12, we provide in a present preferred embodiment a locking means preferably of the bayonet type comprised of tWo inverted L-shape openings 26 on opposite sides along the edge of the open end of cap tube 18 for the reception of two pins 27 welded on opposite sides near the open end on the outside of base tube 12. Thus by placing cap tube 18 over base tube 12 so that pins 27 coincide with and enter into openings 26, and by then turning cap tube 18 clockwise to base tube 12 whereby pins 26 are trapped in the inverted L-shape of openings 27, cap tube 18 is securely locked to base tube 12. A hole 25 may be located in retainer tube 22 to eliminate air entrapment in retainer tube 22 as cylinder cap 24 enters therein which may otherwise make it difficult to close the container.

In a present preferred embodiment, we provide for ease of handling, handles 28, which may be simply formed from a strip placed around base tube 12 and welded about its circumference thereto at 29 with a pair of loops 28, one on each side, for handles. For added strength handles 28 should be positioned above the center of gravity of container 10 with cylinder 11 inside in its standing position, so that there is no danger from tipping when the loaded container is picked up by handles 28.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGURE 2, cylinder 11' is of the type that does not have an extended valve protector cap 24, as for example acetylene torch cylinders, and thus eliminates the necessity of retainer tube 22 being placed within cap tube 18'. Cap tube 18 may be thus appreciably shortened and is firmly seated on base tube 12 so that it may not be bumped askew or off of base tube 12' by virtue of the fact that cap tube 18' will slide down all the way over base tube 12 until the open end of base tube 12 is seated against the inside of top plate 20 of cap tube 18'.

In still another embodiment as shown in FIGURE 5, base plate 14 may be a moulding of the configuration there shown. The advantage of this embodiment is that a heavy rim section 31 may be built up along the outer diameter portions of base plate 14 where it is needed for strength and wear without the center portion thereof being of equal thickness when it is not needed; thereby saving unneeded material in said center portion. Well grooves 15" and hole 17" may either be cut in the moulding or may be moulded in the original casting which would provide additional saving in material.

The present preferred embodiments are made entirely of a semi-rigid plastic material such as normal polyethylene. This material is a non-conductor of electricity and will not spark upon contact with metallic flinty or other kinds of substances. Further this material may be readily welded and is available in all colors. Thus various color combinations are available for use in identification of the type of gas or other contents held by the cylinder within our container. As for example, for oxygen cylinders our container could be made of green colored polyethylene, for nitrogen cylinders it could be made of orange, for hydrogen-red, for acetyleneyellow, and so on.

Some other advantages of our container are that it is not subject to rust nor will it rot under damp conditions; in addition, it is tough and durable and will not shatter or splinter upon rough contact with other objects.

While we have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claim. 1

We claim:

In combination, a base container comprising a hollow cylindrical side wall having one end open and the other end closed by a bottom plate having at least one vent hole therein, a metal cylinder such as for compressed gas disposed in the base container, said cylinder having a discharge head protruding out of the open end of the base container, said metal cylinder closely fitting said side wall whereby upon the application of external forces thereto the side wall is supported and strengthened by the metal cylinder and a cap container member surrounding the discharge head and lockably closing the open end of the base container and having seating means therein engaging the discharge head whereby said cap container member is held in fixed alignment with said base container, said base container and cap container member being composed of a semi-rigid non-sparking plastic material such as normal polyethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,444,308 Dunning Feb. 6, 1923 1,606,811 Schilke Nov. 16, 1926 1,741,154 Haigney Dec. 31, 1929 2,218,724 Rudd Oct. 22, 1940 2,311,397 Kazimirow Feb. 16, 1943 2,487,400 Tupper Nov. 8, 1949 2,545,528 Murray Mar. 20, 1951 2,597,715 Erikson May 20, 1952 2,634,020 Bartholomew Apr. 7, 1953 2,663,450 Bourcart Dec. 22, 1953 2,801,742 Farrell Aug. 6, 1957 2,802,593 Slaughter Aug. 13, 1957 2,915,640 Grubel et a1. Dec. 1, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 887,572 France Aug. 16, 1943 

